Through Her Eyes
by mr-winkie
Summary: [A.U.] - (Completed) What will happen to Kitsune when she sees the grim reality of war? Inspired by the movie 'Harrison's Flowers'
1. Chance of a Lifetime

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 1 – Chance of a Lifetime

Kitsune shifted uneasily in her chair as the drone of the plane's engines filled the cabin. She was among a group of photographers and journalists, all had a look of both nervousness and excitement upon their faces. The destination was Albania, and then it was a long drive with her fellow journalists to Kosovo – the scene of the worse kind of fighting the region has seen. The flight from Tokyo was taking longer than expected; each passing moment, Kitsune began to think how she ended up here.

~flashback~

_"Come on Kitsune,"_ said a voice over the telephone. _"It'll be a big career boost for ya, not to mention how much it'll pay."_

Kitsune sat in her room and thought for a moment. She took a swig from her sake bottle and put the phone back up to her head.

"I don't know Sanada," she replied. "I'm a freelance writer, not a real journalist. As for my photography skills, they're average at best."

_"Listen,"_ said Sanada, _"You've worked for the paper for some time now. So far you've only been able to submit a column or two every other week talking about shit no one really cares for."_

Kitsune was taken back by that last comment – not because it was blatant insult to her ability as a writer, but it was true that she's written only the boring crap no one else would do. 

_"I'm telling you Kitsune, this is a chance of a lifetime!"_ Sanada continued. _"It'll give you a real career…maybe have you writing on more important stories that people will notice."_

Kitsune thought long and hard at what he said. She knew the risks if she agreed to take this assignment, but the payoff would be worth it. Finishing off her last bottle of sake, she took a deep breath.

"Okay," she said. "I'll do it."

~~

It was dinnertime at the Hinata Sou, and everyone was gathered around the table. After finishing dinner, Kitsune told the others about her assignment. To say that they were shocked at it is an understatement.

"You're going where?!?" exclaimed Keitaro.

Naru stood up and moved to Kitsune's side quickly. She grasped her friend's arm and shot her a look mixed with concern and anger.

"Are you nuts Kitsune!" exclaimed Naru. "It's dangerous!"

"I have to agree with Naru," added Motoko. "The likelihood of being injured will be too great."

"Come on you too! I know what I'm doing," sighed Kitsune. "Besides, I think I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

"Are you really sure you want to go through with this?" asked Keitaro. "I mean, what if you got hurt?"

"I'll be fine," answered Kitsune. "You know me…I can be pretty resourceful when the time comes."

They all remained silent, contemplating what she said. There were no illusions on what may happen to her if went  – none of them wanted to think about it either. Kitsune knew what lay ahead as well, but was confident that she'll be okay. 

"When will you be leaving Kitsune?" asked Shinobu.

"Three days from now."

Su jumped up from her seat and latched on Kitsune's back.

"Can I come with you," asked Su innocently. "Please!"

Kitsune laughed lightly at her question. Despite Su's age and energetic personality, she can act rather childish at times.

"I'm sorry Su," answered Kitsune. "Maybe I'll take you on another trip next time around."

"Okies," Su replied and promptly jumped off.

After reassuring the others, they went to their respected rooms for the night. An air of concern and worry hung in the Hinata Sou. It remained until the day Kitsune left for the airport. The others were there at the foot of he steps, wishing her the best of luck. Flashing her trademark foxy grin to all of them, she got in the cab and left. Speeding off to the airport, Kitsune turned back and saw Naru, Keitaro, Shinobu, Motoko, and Su waving their goodbyes.

~end flashback~

The concerned comments that everyone made rang loudly in Kitsune's head. She turned her gaze to the outside world, admiring how the sun's rays came in harmony with the clouds. This drew a small smile on Kitsune's face; it was a shame that such tranquility is becoming harder and harder to find on the ground these days. Sighing, Kitsune reclined in her chair and dozed off.

~~

The aircraft shuttered as it touched down at the airport. Kitsune woke with a jolt as the plane began to taxi of the runway and to the terminal. An air of anticipation filled the cabin as Kitsune began to make a mental checklist of what do the moment she got off – the first order of business is to find the group she is to travel with. Standing up she pulled out her old rucksack and slipped into the shoulder straps. Despite its age and worn condition, Kitsune was really attached to it; it got her through many trips abroad, and to had always brought her luck…not that she believed in stuff like that. Gathering her papers in her hand, she walked toward the front of the plane toward the exit.

Stepping into the terminal, she began to search for her the group she's to travel with into Kosovo. It didn't take long until a young man approached her. He seemed a couple of years older than her, looking awfully like her old tutor Seta…minus the glasses. Despite the man's age, his face had a worn look it, but made him no less friendly.

"You must be Mitsune Konno," he said.

"As a matter of fact, I am," she replied. "And you must be…"

"Jason Gilbert," he replied, "but most people call me Jay."

"Nice to meet you," Kitsune replied. "Friends call me Kitsune."

Shaking hands, Jay took Kitsune to introduce her to the others. There are two others she would be traveling with: a woman with dirty blond hair and blue piercing eyes, and another man with dark brown hair and an average build. They were busy checking their equipment when she and Jay walked over.

"Hey guys," said Jay. "This is Kitsune, the Japanese correspondent that we're bringing along."

"I'm Sandy Morello," replied the woman. "This guy right next to me is Gus Baker."

"Nice to meet you Mitsune," said Gus.

"Likewise," replied Kitsune. "So where are we headed?"

"We're going with a convoy of other news reporters to the border of Kosovo," answered Gus. "Once there, we get to do our thing until it gets too hot to stay."

"Sounds easy enough," commented Kitsune.

"If we're lucky, we'll be able to steer clear of the fighting," commented Sandy. 

"Yeah," added Jay. "Let's hope for that."

Picking up their equipment, they proceeded outside to the vehicle assembly area. The car they got was an old Volvo station wagon. Written in bold black tape on the sides and windows was 'T.V.' along with a sign that said 'Press' taped was to the dashboard. Throwing their bags in the back, Kitsune sat shotgun while Jay started up the car. Giving the engine some gas, they began to follow the convoy of seven cars toward their final destination – Kosovo.

Kitsune pulled out her camera and loaded a roll of film in it. Shutting the trap close, she readied it and herself for the task that lay ahead. Little did she know that she would be getting in more than what she had bargained for…

**

A/N – So what do you guys think? Well to get some things out of the way, let me state for the record that this is gonna be a type of an AU fic. 

To be quite honest, I'm not sure if there were any reporters in or around Kosovo in '99, but for my fic, there are. Also I'm not 100% sure how reporters enter a worn torn country, so I'll have to do a bit more research on that.

Just to let everyone know, this fic is inspired by the movie Harrison's Flowers and I had a strong urge to write it. Don't worry – I'll still plan to finish 'Guardian Angel'.

Well, you know the drill! Send me your reviews and I'll have chapter two up soon!    =^)


	2. Arrival

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 2 – Arrival

Kitsune sat in the car, fiddling with the neck strap of her camera. Despite her best efforts, it seemed that it caused her more discomfort after each time adjusting it. Gus and Sandy were sound asleep in the back while Jay followed the other cars to a 'safe zone' – a place where everyone can set up a temporary safe haven. Sighing, she places her camera back in her lap and stared out the window. The sunset lit up the sky with a soft glow of orange and reds as day was gradually turning into night. Jay takes a quick glance at her and breaks the dead silence that hung in the air.

"Enjoying the view?"

"Yeah," replies Kitsune. "Great view…beautiful countryside…unbelievable sunset…despite what's happening here, this place would be a great place to take a vacation."

Jay sighs. "Almost…"

Kitsune reclined in her chair, staring off into the distance. "Do you think we should even _be _here?"

" Well, it comes with the job," he replies. "But once the shit hits the fan…it'll be more about the people around you than anything else."

"I just want to do a good job," comments Kitsune. "That's all."

"Just keep a level head, and you'll be fine," said Jay. "Get some rest…we still have a long way to go."

Kitsune shifts in her chair, and rests her head on the side window. Closing her eyes, she slowly drifts off to sleep.

~~

"Kitsune," said Sandy. "Come one, wake up!"

Sandy shakes her for a brief moment but Kitsune waves her off. "Please…five more minutes," she mumbled. "Just five more minutes."

"You said five more minutes _twenty _minutes ago," comments Sandy.

Kitsune turns her body in the car seat, mumbling something yet again. Shaking her head, Sandy pulls a water bottle out from her bag and twists off the cap. Taking one last look, she proceeds to pour some of the contents onto the fox-girl's face. In an instant, Kitsune sits up, nearly striking her head on the car's ceiling. Putting the bottle away, Sandy flashes her a smile.

"Good morning to ya," said Sandy, smiling. "Enjoy the complementary shower?"

Kitsune wipes a few wet stands of hair from her face and flicks some water back at Sandy. Drying her face off with the sleeve of her coat, she picked up her camera and stuck it back in her rucksack. Getting out, she began to stretch her sore back to its full length.

"No continental breakfast today?" comments Kitsune.

Sandy laughs. "On the menu today is powdered milk, coffee, and some day-old bagles. Not really four star…but it's better than nothing."

Walking along side her, Kitsune began to survey her surroundings. The 'safe zone' turned out to be a small village with several bombed out buildings. The ground was rough and littered with debris, making it difficult to walk; mud and dirt began to soil Kitsune's dark jeans and her boots. Reaching a large building on the east side of town, the two girls entered it. Among the dozens of the journalists were Jay and Gus, eating the food provisions the convoy brought.

"Well if it isn't sleeping beauty herself," commented Gus.

Kitsune gave her trademark grin. "Just hours after I came here and already I have some admirers."

All four of them couldn't help but laugh at that comment. Jay picked up a tray of food and handed it to Kitsune. Taking it in her hands, she and the others ate breakfast. After an hour or so, Jay pulled out a map of the area as well as some papers.

"Now that we're done with breakfast, let's get down to business," said Jay. "Every other group already has their assignments. Circled on the map is the area where we're going – it's about ten miles northeast from here."

"Is there still fighting there?" asked Sandy.

"No, but be prepared for skirmishes between both sides," answered Gus. "Once we finish taking shots of what we need, we head straight back to the safe zone."

Kitsune began to feel nervous about today's assignment. She didn't know what to expect once she's entered the field or how bad the war in Kosovo really was. Jay turned his gaze at her and moved to her side.

"You alright Kitsune?"

"Fine…never better," she answered. "I just have a bit of the jitters…in a good way."

"Listen…just do your job and use your head," said Jay. "We'll be fine. Both sides should know that we pose no real threat to them."

Working out the rest of the details, they packed their things and headed back to their car. Gus opened the back and handed everyone a flak jacket with the word 'PRESS' on it. Taking it in hands, Kitsune slips it on over her old coat.

"Just in case," said Gus.

Getting the car, they and along with their fellow journalists disperse from the safe zone, heading in several different directions. Bouncing around in the car, Kitsune pocketed several rolls of film for her camera. The car was silent as they sped to their destination.

~~

 The fifteen-minute drive ended as the car came to several small houses that sat around the crossroads. All around the homes was the aftermath of yesterday's fighting – a half dozen bodies and a couple of burnt cars lay around the crossroads. Jay steered the car off of the road and motioned everyone to get out. Stepping outside Kitsune caught a whiff of the smell of death, causing her to feel a bit nauseated.

"We better hurry and get the shots we need," said Gus.

"Uh…right," said Kitsune.

The small group pulled out their equipment and the sounds of shutters began. Kitsune slowly began to make her way around the road, taking pictures of the carnage before her. She did her best to stay clear of the bodies, but curiosity got the better of her. Walking to one of the corpses, she brought the viewfinder to her face. 

Through the lens of her camera Kitsune could clearly see that the body was that of a small boy, probably no older than Su, lying in a pool of dried blood. The back of his head was caved in, exposing what's left of the brain. Flies had already begun to circle the area, buzzing about around the fresh corpse. The face was still contorted, reflecting the pain that the child had endured in the last hours of his short life. Almost immediately, Kitsune put her camera to her side and turned away. The sight was too intense for her as she brought her hand to her mouth and took a few steps back. Sandy noticed this and walked over to Kitsune, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you going to be okay Kitsune?" she asked.

"Oh man," said Kitsune. "I had no idea it would be like this."

Sandy sighed. "Don't worry about it. The first time I did something like this, I puked my guts up for the rest of the day."

"Okay we're finished," announced Jay. "Get in your last shots, because it's time for us to head back."

Sandy waved to Jay, and then turned back to Kitsune. "You sure you're going to be fine?"

"I'll be okay Sandy," replied Kitsune. "Really."

Just then the sound of a helicopter began to grow louder and louder. Before any of then could react, a military chopper flew overhead. Its door gun immediately trained on them as it circled the crossroads.

"Oh shit!" cried Gus.

"Everyone raise your hands with camera's in hand!" shouted Jay.

Kitsune immediately did so, not knowing what to expect. Her instincts told her to run, but her body couldn't move. Jay, Sandy, and Gus waved their hands in the air, showing that she and they were noncombatants.

"Don't shoot!" Jay shouted to the helicopter. "We're journalists!"

"Press! Press!" said Sandy. "Don't shoot!"

After what seemed like eternity, the helicopter began to ascend into the air. Keeping their door gun trained on them, it finally flew off into the distance. Kitsune exhaled and fell to her knees. She began to breathe heavily as did the others after coming face to face with certain death.

"Jesus Christ that was close," said Jay. "We better head back – now!"

"You don't need to tell me twice!" commented Kitsune.

Making their way back to the car, the four of them sped off back to the village leaving behind the destruction the war had produced.

~~

Later that evening, everyone back in the village was trying to get some rest from the day's events. Several were busy filling out reports and sending rolls of film and videotapes with the relief truck that came earlier that evening. All seemed calm as the group began to prepare for another say in the field.

Kitsune sat near the doorway, jotting down what happened today on her notepad. As she wrote, her action of keeping her hand moving seem to take more effort than ever before. Setting her pencil down, she ran her hands through her hair and took a deep breath. Ever since she saw that poor boy lying in the street, she wondered if coming here was a mistake. Just a few days earlier she was confident in her skills as a freelance writer and photographer – now it seemed that this assignment wasn't really agreeing with her nerves.

"Mind if I joined you?"

Kitsune looked up to see Gus standing over her. Moving her bag over, she motioned for him to sit.

"Talk about one hell of a first day," he commented.

"You really have a thing for understatements," replied Kitsune.

They both laughed softly as Gus pulled out a flask from his back pocket. Unscrewing the top, he takes a swig from it. Placing the cap back on, he offered it to Kitsune.

"Thanks," she said, taking the flask.

Flipping off the cap, she takes a gulp of he liquid. Her eyes go wide as she pulls the flask away from her mouth. Coughing, she hands it back to Gus.

"Holy shit that stuff is strong," said Kitsune, still coughing. "What's in it?"

Gus flashes her a grin. "It's a mix of two parts vodka and rum, with one part bourbon…my own special blend."

"And I thought I was a strong drinker," adds Kitsune.

Just then an explosion rocked the building, causing loose dust from the ceiling to fall upon their heads. Everyone began to scramble as another explosion shattered the windows.

"Goddamn! What the hell was that!" cried Sandy.

"Sounds like artillery," shouted Jay. "We gotta get out of here! Get outside now!"

Kitsune grabbed her bag and dashed outside as the sound of more artillery streaked in. Several more explosions shook the ground beneath her, causing her to fall behind a broken brick wall near the road. Looking all around her, she bore witness to an awesome display of firepower she had ever seen. Defying all common sense, Kitsune pulling out her camera and began to take pictures of this event. The explosions caused nearby structures to shatter into stone and dust. A couple of shells land in a cluster of trees, causing a shower of splintered wood to fly in all directions. Just then, Kitsune's camera began to wind up the roll of film, causing her to come back to the reality of her situation. Turning her head every which way, she finally spots the others in her group. Sandy spots her and calls to her.

"Kitsune! This is no time to start admiring the show!" she shouted.

"I'm coming!" Kitsune shouted back.

Two more shells impacted the ground, and then there was a slight pause in the shelling. Sensing the opportunity, Kitsune got up and made a mad dash to the car. She was only about forty or so yards away when another shell streaked in.

"Kitsune hit the dirt!" screamed Gus.

Hearing his warning, Kitsune rolled into a crater as the round struck the ground in front of her. Dirt and rock rain upon her covering her almost completely from head to toe.  An intense ringing echoed in her head as she closed her eyes. She heard a voice that sounded distant, and felt strong hand pull her up. Gradually the voices became more and more clear as her senses kicked back in.

"Are you hurt Kitsune?!" asked Jay.

Kitsune looked straight at him with a dazed expression on her face.

"I'm okay…I can hear bells ringing, but I'm still in one piece."

Jay was relieved. "You're one lucky young lady!"

Jay helped Kitsune get to her feet and ran toward the others. Getting into the back of the car, Kitsune looked back to see the other journalists scrambling to get out of the village. One of the cars blew into a twisted mass of metal as the occupants dove for the nearest car. It was utter chaos – there was no sense of direction that anyone was taking. They were no exception either; all that Jay did was floored it all the way out of the village. At that moment, it didn't matter where they were going…they just needed to get the hell out.

***

A/N – I hope everyone is enjoying my story so far…looks as though I'm gonna be focusing my efforts more on this one for the time being.

Special thanks go out to the following reviewers:

**i won't tell** – My first reviewer for this fic! I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job so far. And yes, the reason why I picked Kitsune is because she's a freelance writer and I thought it'd be interesting to see how her personality may be affected by something like this.

**Baka-Alaskan** – You've always supported my fics the most. I'm glad that you express an interest in all of them!

Well, that's it from me. Please by all means, send me your reviews/comments and I'll have chapter three up soon!      ^_^


	3. An Unknown Fate

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 3 – An Unknown Fate

All was quiet inside the Hinata Sou as the remaining tenants slept. Keitaro was in his room finishing up a late round of studying, focusing all of his attention at the task at hand. It was not until the phone rang that broke the peaceful stillness that flowed within its walls as well as his concentration. Surprised, Keitaro made his way to the phone, wondering who would be calling at this time of night.

"I hope this isn't a wrong number or something," he said to himself.

Elsewhere in the building, Naru awoke to the sound of the phone ringing in Keitaro's room. The first two rings she tried to ignore them by burying her head in her pillow, with little affect. Finally it stopped and it looked as though she'd get a good night's sleep for once. Unfortunately it wasn't going to be the case – the sounds of footsteps came from the hallway, then a knock on her door caused her to get out of bed. Opening it, she saw a distraught Keitaro in front of her.

"Keitaro, if you're here for a late night tutoring session look elsewhere," she said flatly.

"Naru," Keitaro said, "something happened to Kitsune."

"What!" gasped Naru. "What happened to her?"

"Just help me wake the others," he told her. "I'll tell you what happened once everyone's awake and in the living room."

~~

After waking the others, they all gathered in the living room with Keitaro. Naru was worried what he may have to say to them; it had been difficult since Kitsune left over a week ago…now something's gone wrong.

"Alright everyone," said Keitaro, "I hate to wake all of you this late in the evening, but I have some…uh…bad news to tell you."

"What is it Sempai?" asked Shinobu, yawning.

"This doesn't to do with a banana shortage, does it?" added Su.

Motoko shot a serious look at the young girl. "Su, Urashima wouldn't have woke us up for something so trivial."

Keitaro took a deep breath. "I got a call from Kitsune's editor earlier tonight. Something happened to the group she was in…they're missing."

Everyone was stunned at the news – it hit all of them like a ton of bricks. Tears began to well in all of the girls' as they tried to comprehend what Keitaro said. A brief moment of silence passed until Naru spoke up.

"What…what happened to her?"

Keitaro turned his gaze to her. "The camp that she was in was shelled – some sort of crossfire between the two forces in the area. All the journalists staying there had to leave in a hurry…some of them were killed by the shelling. Somehow in the confusion, some of the smaller groups got separated and drove off in any direction they could."

Motoko looked down at the floor lost in thought. She then faced Keitaro once more.

"When did this happen?" she asked solemnly.

"About three days ago," Keitaro answered. "The people in charge of covering the war are doing the best they can to find them…but the chances of surviving…"

"Keitaro," said Naru, "if there isn't a body, then she's alive out there!"

"Naru, I–" Keitaro started, but was cut short.

"Kitsune is missing…she is not dead! She can't be!" she shouted angrily.

Naru slammed her fist in frustration on the table, and then broke down into bitter tears. Motoko put a hand on her shoulder while Su wrapped her arms around her neck in an effort to comfort her. Shinobu began to sob and moved to Keitaro's side.

"Sempai…is there anything we can do?" she choked.

Keitaro looked down at the small girl. "All we can do is hope that she's okay."

~~

Two days earlier… 

Kitsune woke up in a cold sweat. Sitting up in the car seat, she immediately started looking for the others. Spotting them under an old tree made her breath a sigh of relief – it had been a stressful night as they left the village. The memory of that event caused her to think bitterly of her current situation.

'Some safe zone,' she thought. 'We should've painted a goddamn bullseye on all of the buildings.'

Getting out of the car, she made her way to the group.

"What's going on?" she asks.

"We're busy trying to figure out where we are," said Gus.

"Jay, can't believe that you got us lost!" said Sandy, shooting him a stern look.

"Hey, I really didn't have any other choice," Jay replied. "I didn't want to take a road that wasn't blowing up every minute!"

"Guys knock it off," Gus said. "Playing the blame game isn't gonna get us the hell out of here."

After calming everyone's nerves, each of them looked over the map of the area. Several minutes passed until they found out where they were. Realizing their location at the moment, Sandy was able to sum it up in five words.

"We are in deep shit," she said. "It seems we somewhere about thirty miles away from the Albanian border, give or take a few."

"Then what's the problem?" asked Kitsune. 

Gus sighed. "The problem is that there's heavy fighting between us and safety."

"That is a problem," commented Kitsune. "So what's our next move?"

"Well," Jay said, "our only option is to drive as close to the border as possible and try to cross it from there. It's our best bet."

"Hey, isn't that a little dangerous?" said Sandy.

"We're with the press," Kitsune added. "I doubt we'll get shot at outright."

"Still it's a big risk, but it's better than trying to stick it out here any longer," commented Gus.

Coming to an agreement, all of them got into the car and drove off. The ride was tense as all four of them kept a lookout for militant forces. Kitsune had her hand gripped to the door handle the entire time, as she felt the anticipation rise within her. As a general rule of thumb, each group kept the car doors unlocked when they traveled – this is so that they could get out of the car in a hurry if they were under attack. After driving for about fifteen minutes, Kitsune felt the car slowing down. Turning her head to the front, she saw what they all feared they'd run into – a military checkpoint. 

Men in Serbian uniforms took up defensive positions around several sandbag barriers that lined the road. An officer stood up and signaled the car to stop. As carefully as they could, Kitsune and the others pulled out the press I.D. cards as well as their cameras. The man took one hard look at their credentials as well as their faces. He then spoke to Jay in a soft tone in his language. Nodding to everything the officer had to say, and then he waved them off. Smiling nervously, Jay put the car into drive and pulled away. All the soldiers kept their rifles trained on them the entire time.

"What was he talking to you about?" asked Gus.

"My Serbian sucks, but the jist of it is this that there's going to be more fighting up ahead," he replied. "But since we're reporters, he told us to keep our heads down."

"That's not good," said Kitsune.

"Okay, just keep a lookout for any trouble and get ready to get out fast," instructed Sandy.

Tense minutes passed without incident. Just as things seemed to become peaceful, the sound of mortar rounds being fired got everyone's attention. An explosion in front of the car caused Jay to swerve off the road. When they stopped, the motor died out.

"Oh shit!" cried Jay. "Come on dammit, come on!"

Turning the ignition key, he tried to get the car moving again. More explosions shook the interior as the fighting began to pick up steam.

"Forget about starting the damn car!" shouted Kitsune. "We gotta find some shelter now!"

Scrambling out of the car, all four of them dove for cover as another mortar streaked in. Scanning the area, Jay points to a run-down house a few feet away.

"Get to that house!" he shouted. "We gotta get out of this field or we're dead!"

Running as fast as they could, they dove inside. Closing the door shut, Kitsune slumped to the floor as more explosions rang outside. 

"Stay down!" cried Sandy "Find some cover and stay low!"

The rest began to take cover anywhere they could inside the house, while Kitsune sat near the doorway. Soon, she found herself alone in what used to be a living room. The sound of mortars ceased and all was quiet.

A moment later the sound of heavy armor came closer and closer. Looking out the window, Kitsune saw several militants running through the field firing at their unseen adversaries. She saw in horror as several of the men dropped dead, their blood staining the ground a bright crimson. Pulling her camera out from her bag, she began to take photos of the ensuing carnage.

Some of the men that fell weren't dead. They screamed in pain as they clutched bloody wounds on their bodies; others grabbed at the stumps of blown off limbs, crying out in agony; it was a truly gruesome scene. As the fighting intensified, Kitsune didn't realize that she was out of film. Despite this, she couldn't turn away – it's as if she was in some sort of trance. 

All of a sudden, an explosion from a rifle grenade shattered the window. The sudden impact knocked Kitsune off her feet. Crawling around on the floor in a panic, she somehow managed to find a bathroom. Slowly the truth of the matter began to sink into her head: it wasn't a game or some movie – this is _real_. Those are real people dying out there, and she was smack in the middle of it. 

As the sounds of war rang outside, Kitsune began to think about her life at the Hinata Sou…images of happier times ran through her head like a slideshow. The Cherry Blossom Festival, the Christmas Party, the time she and Naru tried their hand at cooking – all these events in her life that took place just recently seemed too distant and faded to remember. She'd give anything to be back home…back to where things made sense. What she has seen and experienced made her realize how lucky she is to have such a life and to have friends that cared about her. It soon dawned on Kitsune that she might never see that life again.

Bringing her knees to her chest, Kitsune began to cry.

***

A/N – This was a difficult chapter to write, so I hope I did a good job. I hope my inclusion of the rest of the L.H. cast in the beginning didn't seem too out of place (or a bit OCC), but I wanted to include their point-of-view on what's happened so far.

Anyway, thanks to **British Dragon** and **i won't tell **for reviewing my last chapter (I hope that I didn't make you too sick after reading it, but I'm big on descriptions).

Okay people, you know the drill! Read and review and I'll have the next chapter up ASAP!    ^_^


	4. Family

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 4 – Family

It was nighttime and all was still inside the old house. All sense of time had vanished ever since the fighting had died down – no one dared to make any noise that may draw too much attention. Jay crawled from the kitchen area trying to find the others; the moonlight gave enough light to show him where he was going. Soon enough, he made his way to the bathroom where Kitsune was.

"Kitsune," whispered Jay, "you okay?"

Kitsune was curled up on the floor with a worn expression on her face; her eyes were still red from crying earlier that day. What happened earlier took a lot out of her, causing Kitsune to enter a state of emotional fatigue. At first she didn't notice Jay until he shook her shoulder. This brought Kitsune out of her tired state of mind, though not fully, as she turned to face the young man.

"I'm alright…just a little tired."

"Come on Kitsune, we gotta find Sandy and Gus," said Jay.

Helping the fox girl to her feet, the two proceeded to search the house. It didn't take long to find them – Gus and Sandy were sitting in what used to be a bedroom. Both of them took a seat along side them, trading tired glances between one another. Gus reached inside his back pocket and pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes. Taking one out and tapping the end of it, he struck a match and lit it. Jay reached over and took one as well.

"Jay, I thought you didn't smoke?" asked Sandy.

He looked at her and gave her a small smile. "I don't…but if there's a time to start a bad habit, then this is it."

Normally Kitsune would find this amusing…usually adding a smart aleck comment around this time. But right now she didn't have the energy to even muster a small chuckle.

"So…now what do we do?" asked Kitsune.

Gus took a drag from his cigarette and stamped it out. "We stick to our original plan…get as close to the border as possible and hop across it."

"Provided that the car is still in once piece," added Sandy.

Kitsune leaned heavily on the wall. "When do we start off again?"

"First light," answered Jay. "For now, we should get some shuteye."

"Sound like a good idea," yawned Sandy.

"It is…we still have a long way to go," commented Gus.

~~

Jay, Sandy, Gus and Kitsune made themselves comfortable inside the living room area. Finding a small corner in the room, Kitsune curled up in a ball and used her coat as a blanket. Despite the fact that she was drained both physically and mentally, she couldn't sleep. For the past hour or so she moved and shifted her body trying to let sleep take hold of her, but eventually gave up. Sandy was awakened by Kitsune's constant tossing and turning. Looking over at Kitsune, she realized that something was bothering the fox girl. Sitting up, Sandy moved over to her.

"Can't sleep?"

"Yeah," said Kitsune solemnly. "I'm tired…but for some damn reason I can't sleep."

Sandy took a seat next to her and pulled out Gus' flask from his coat. Taking off the cap, she took a drink from it and offered to Kitsune. Instead of taking it, Kitsune pushed it away and shook her head. Sighing, Sandy took a small drink from it and made a face.

"Man…this shit Gus passes off as liquor is starting to taste better," she commented, placing the flask back.

Kitsune flashed a weary smile as Sandy – the first one she made in a long while. A few moments passed between them until Sandy began to strike up a conversation.

"Wonder if my folks and sister heard what happened to me yet back home," she said. "I bet they're worried sick."

"Where is home Sandy?" asked Kitsune.

"I live outside of Baltimore," she said. "My mom used to work as a pharmacist while my dad worked as a columnist until they both retired not long ago. My older sister Nikki is a pharmacist as well, taking over the family practice."

"Sounds like a nice family."

"Yeah, well mom worried about me being a photographer. My dad on the other hand was proud of me…following in his footsteps and such. He always told me that it's important to show the people back home what's happening in the world…but I guess that this line of work is starting to get to me a little."

Silence passed between the two once more as the sounds of the night droned on. A strange sense of security swept through the room, and at that moment all was once again peaceful.

"So…where exactly in Japan are you from?" asked Sandy.

Kitsune ran her hand through her hair. She sighed as she reached in her pocket and pulled out two folded pictures: one of the Hinata Sou, and the other a group shot of its tenants – everyone's faces showing telltale signs of happiness.

"I grew up in Osaka, but I've been living in Hinata in an all-girls' dorm for some time now," answered Kitsune, pointing at the first picture. "It's a really nice place…hot springs, good view of the city…just plain gorgeous all year round."

"It sound like its wonderful place to live," commented Sandy.

She handed both pictures to Sandy as she began to think about her friends. Kitsune wondered what they were doing right now at this very moment. Sandy gazed at both photos and tapped on the second one with her index finger.

"Is this your family?" she asked.

Kitsune looked at the faces in the picture and felt tears well in her eyes. Taking a moment to regain her composure she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to find the right words to say to her.

"Well…not really, but we all…uh… regard each other as family," answered Kitsune.

Kitsune went on to talk about everyone staying at the dorm, and their reasons why they're there. She also mentioned everyone's personality as well as the kinds of things that happens on a routine basis, ranging from one of Su's latest inventions to Naru's brief time in the spotlight…even to Keitaro's 'perverted tendencies' from time to time. Sandy sat there, listening intently to what she had to say. After Kitsune finished, she cracked a small smile.

"Hehe…from the way you tell it Kitsune, it sounds like something out of a sitcom," said Sandy. "But it sounds like you and your friends _are_ a family – a very close one at that."

Sandy handed both pictures back to Kitsune. She looked at the group shot of everyone once again, remembering all the good times she's had.  A single tear ran down her cheek and onto the photograph. Noticing this, Sandy patted the fox girl's shoulder.

"You miss them don't you," Sandy said.

"Yeah…I spent the best years of my life with them," Kitsune replied. "You know…despite what's happened, I'm a little afraid to face them."

"Why? What's there to be afraid of?"

Kitsune gave a heavy sigh. "How can I tell them what I've been through here? I mean…I'm afraid that I've changed so much that…that they won't recognize me anymore."

Sandy looked at Kitsune. "I don't think you have to worry about that…from what you've told me, they're very understanding and supportive. I'm sure they'll stick by your side no matter what."

Sandy gave her a confident and reassuring squeeze on her shoulder to reinforce what she had said. She got up and moved back to her makeshift bed, leaving Kitsune by herself. Sandy's words rang loudly in her head, causing her to stare at the photograph intently. 

Maybe Sandy's right. Everyone back at the Hinata Sou had always cared about her, despite anything that Kitsune had done for a cheap laugh. For most of her adult life, she never had to rely on anyone for anything; she had always considered herself to be somewhat of a free spirit, not bound by any emotional attachments. Now it seemed she needed them just for that purpose – more than she would've imagined. 

Kitsune began to feel sleep finally taking hold of her. Taking one last look at her photos, she placed them with great care in her shirt pocket…close to her heart. Lying back down, she fell into an uneasy sleep.

***

A/N – That does it for chapter 4! I wanted to take this opportunity to expand on Kitsune's personality, so if my pacing seems to be a bit off, don't worry – it'll start picking up once again in later chapters.

My thanks go out to the following reviewers: 

**Gotenks01013**  – Thanks for the compliments on my writing so far as well as your thoughts. Yes this fic does differ somewhat to _Love Hina: Resistance_. I'm trying to focus more on the physiological aspect of war as well as the physical scarring. I hope you'll continue to read my story.

**i won't tell – **Glad you're liking my story thus far! I wanted to expand on the last part a bit more, so I did here in chapter 4…hopefully I did a good job by doing so.

Well, that's enough from me! Read and send me your reviews/comments, and I'll update soon!     ^_^


	5. Grim Reality

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 5 – Grim Reality

A thick fog masked Kitsune's surrounding, obscuring her vision. Surprisingly, the fox girl didn't feel as if she was in any danger – an air of familiarity flowed all around her, creating a sense of peace within herself. The sounds of her footsteps echoed all around Kitsune as she walked. After what seemed like an eternity, she found herself standing in front of a familiar set of stairs. She felt a strange force that seemed to beckon her to continue. A yearning stirred in Kitsune's mind, and she obeyed what her instincts were telling her to do.

A soft haze shrouded Kitsune as walked up the steps of the Hinata Sou. Walking through the front door, she made her way to the living room. Rounding the corner, she was startled to see that everyone was throwing a party. Walking toward the group, she saw the faces of her friends laughing, smiling, and having a good time. From a distance, Kitsune saw the tenants doing their thing: Su bounced from one side of the room to the other, trying to have someone play with her; Shinobu walked in with a tray of food, setting it down on the table with great care; Motoko, Naru and Keitaro talking amongst themselves, smiling and enjoying themselves.

Soon they noticed Kitsune standing a few feet way from them. They all turned to her and motioned her to join them, calling her name. Kitsune felt warm feelings of love and belonging stir from deep within…emotions that laid dormant for what seemed like an eternity. With a tear running down her face and a smile running from ear to ear, she moved as fast as she could toward her friends. Suddenly a bright light enveloped all that surrounded Kitsune, causing her vision to blur…

Slowly opening her eyes, Kitsune's vision readjusted to the morning sunlight. Placing both of her hands on her face she took a deep breath, realizing where she was and began to curse her luck. Gus made his way over to her and kneeled down to her.

"Glad you're awake Kitsune," he said.

"Wish I slept a bit longer…" she muttered as she got up. "It's been a long time since I had a good time with them."

Gus turned to her. "You say something Kitsune?"

"Huh…oh it was nothing."

Gus and Kitsune walked outside and back toward the car. While doing so, Kitsune made the consciences effort not to look at the aftermath of yesterday's fighting. After a minute of walking, they reached the car. Sandy and Jay were already at the car looking for any damages, and despite a few dents it seemed to be working order.

"What's the verdict Jay," asked Gus. "Can this car get us home?"

After finishing his inspection, Jay kicked the car's back tire and turned to face Gus. He scratched his head for a moment before giving his reply.

"It'll get us there…but for right now we need to get it out of this ditch," he replied.

"So with that settled," said Sandy, "it's time to get a little dirty."

"You really have a thing for understatements Sandy," commented Gus.

Sandy smirked. "Yeah…I get that a lot."

It took almost an hour or so, but with a combination of pushing and shoving, it finally was released from the earth's grip. It turned out that it was embedded in the ditch when Jay swerved off the road. All of them then proceeded to see it the undercarriage was still intact. From the looks of it, there wasn't any cracks or breaks visible – so far it looked as if their luck was holding out. Piling back inside, the four set off again to the Albanian border.

~~

The ride was silent and filled with tension once more. Trying to rest was out of the question, the main reason is the fact that the road was filled with bumps and potholes every half-mile or so. Despite being clearly marked as a press car, everyone kept an eye out of any signs of trouble – it didn't take long to find it.

"Jesus," said Gus. "Look over there!"

The rest turned to the direction Gus was pointing at. In the distance were several columns of smoke rising over the ridge. Jay instinctively turned the car and began to head over to whatever lay beyond it. Although they were trying to get out of Kosovo, they still had a job to do…even if it meant coming face to face with death. Kitsune pulled her camera out and loaded a new roll of film, as did the others. When they reached the source of the smoke Kitsune had wished they kept on driving.

"Oh my god," said Jay. "What the hell happened?"

The remains of a small village lay before them. The bodies of men, women, and children littered the area, staining the ground red with blood. 

"I don't think I wanna know," commented Sandy.

Kitsune stared out the car window, trying to make sense of it all. The car slowly made its way through the streets, the sound of the gravel crunching under the tires made it all the more eerie – not a single living person was around to greet them.

"Look guys…I know this may sound crazy but…we have to take some photos of this," said Gus and then added, "we still have a job to do here."

Kitsune, Sandy, and Jay traded confused looks toward each other, and then turned back to Gus.

"Okay…but not for long," said Jay.

When Jay stopped the car, Kitsune was hesitant to get out. She had seen too much senseless destruction in her lifetime, and she felt no reason why she had to see it yet again. Only after a gentle prodding from Sandy helped her strengthen her resolve to do her job.

"Aright everyone," said Gus, "watch your step – there may be some booby traps or mines here."

Slowly making her way through the village, Kitsune stopped now and then to take a picture. But instead of taking pictures of the victims up close, she opted to take shots of the remains of the buildings…making sure that she stayed away from the corpses as much as possible. Unfortunately for Kitsune, fate had other ideas. Rounding a street corner, Kitsune stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened as she gasped at the sight before her. Ahead of her were the remains of a small community park…as well as the bodies of five people – four girls and a young man.

Kitsune couldn't help but wander over to the grisly scene. From the looks of it, these people looked as if they were executed rather than victims of indirect fire. Kitsune pulled her camera to her face and began to take pictures of what lay before her. After the first few shots, it became harder and harder for Kitsune to continue pushing the shutter button. Through the viewfinder, the bodies began to take on familiar faces and similarities. They soon began to feel like the bodies were that of her friends back the Hinata Sou.

The two smallest girls, both shot in the back of the head, could easily have been Shinobu and Su. The third youngest sprawled out next to the fountain reminded her of Motoko, eve though the hair color was lighter. The last two bodies really struck home for Kitsune – they died in a last minute embrace, enter and exit wounds riddled their backs. An image of Keitaro and Naru formed in her mind, taking the place of the couple lying before her. Kitsune felt a wave of sadness overtake her as she imagined her friends lying there like that. 

Taking several steps back, Kitsune placed her back against a wall and slid downward. Coming to a stop, she sat there and began to grieve for the dead. How can someone do that to one another? Who can justify such acts of cruelty? As she pondered over these questions, Kitsune heard footsteps coming toward her. Then someone called to her.

"Kitsune," it called, "come on, it's time to go."

Kitsune turned to the source of the voice and noticed that Sandy was standing a few feet away. Getting her emotions back in check, she wiped away any tears that welled in her eyes. Turing to the girl she got up and replied to Sandy's request.

"I'll be there in a sec…I just need to do something."

Sandy sighed, but nodded to her. "Well, just don't take too long."

Sandy walked off back to the car. Before leaving the area, Kitsune picked a small flower that was growing nearby. Slowly making her way back, she placed it near the bodies. Saying a small prayer not only for them but also for herself, she turned around and made her way back to the group.

"Ready to go?" asked Jay.

Kitsune turned to the direction of the park, then back to the others.

"Yeah…let's go," she replied solemnly.

As Jay pulled the car out of the road, Kitsune couldn't help but think about the people who died in the village. Closing her eyes, she searched for the answers that plagued her back near the ruined park. After much thought, she knew the truth of the matter – that there weren't any real or easy answers to begin with. All that she could do is understand why things like this happen. 

That's all anyone can really do.

***

A/N – This was another difficult chapter to write in terms of the tone, so I hope you guys enjoyed it. If I'm starting to get off track at any time, let me know.

Anyway, my thanks go out to **i won't tell** and **zero** for reviewing chapter 4 and giving me some ideas, and to those who are enjoying my work.

Okay, that about does it for me! Read and review, and I'll have chapter 6 up soon!    ^_^


	6. Running the Gauntlet

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 6 – Running the Gauntlet

The Hinata Sou buzzed with activity as Naru and Keitaro prepared to leave for the airport. It had been a days since everyone had received the news that Kitsune had gone missing – an emotional two days at that. Not wanting to sit around any longer, Naru decided to go and search the many Red Cross centers near the border of Kosovo. If Kitsune's alive then there was a slim chance that she may be in one of those camps. 

After the others got wind of Naru's intentions, they insisted on coming with her. After much heated discussion, it was decided that only Keitaro would go with her – it was considered too dangerous if Motoko, Shinobu or Su came with them. Because of this, Keitaro asked Haruka to take over watching the dorm until they return…whenever that may be.

"Are you sure you two want to go through with this?" asked a concerned Haruka.

"You already know the answer to that," replied Naru, still packing. "Kitsune is alive…and we're gonna get her the hell out of there."

"Haruka don't worry," added Keitaro. "We'll be fine."

Keitaro found it a bit ironic when he uttered those words. It was the same assurance Kitsune had promised them before she left. Hopefully he didn't jinx himself or Naru in any way – he didn't want the rest of the tenants to hear that he and Naru ended up missing as well.

"Well alright," sighed Haruka. "Just be careful."

Keitaro and Naru gathered their backpacks and walked down the steps of the Hinata Sou. Su, Motoko and Shinobu were already at the foot of the steps with the cab driver. Loading up the cab, Naru and Keitaro said their goodbyes to the others.

"Please be very careful," said Shinobu quietly. "Please."

"We will be," answered Keitaro. "Don't worry."

"Naru, I wish you and Urashima the best of luck," said Motoko. "May the spirits you protect you both."

"Thanks," replied Naru.

"Remember," commented Su, "you two better not do anything perverted while you're gone."

"Don't worry Su," said Naru. "Nothing will happen between us. Right Keitaro?"

She shot him a serious look after saying those last few words to Su.

"Right, right…nothing to worry about," Keitaro added nervously

Wishing them luck once more, the three stepped away from the cab as it pulled away from the Hinata Sou. The girls had said their goodbyes to two more people in the past month. All of them hoped that when Naru and Keitaro did return, they would be welcoming Kitsune as well.

~~

Three days earlier… 

The four journalists had stopped for a breather after driving for some time. While the others rested near the car, Kitsune sat under a tree some distance away writing in her notepad…or trying to at least. Every time she start writing, it gradually became harder and harder to put the images on paper. This put a big strain on her mentally and it seemed to take a lot out of her. Finally after fifteen minutes, she sighed and placed her notepad and pencil back in her bag.

"Hey Kitsune," said a voice, "you hungry?"

Looking up she saw Jay holding out a small paper sack. She soon realized that it was late in the afternoon – all sense of time, it seemed, had been lost at some point since she left the village safe zone.

"Thanks Jay," Kitsune said. 

Taking the sack lunch in her hand, she opened it to reveal its contents: half of a corn beef sandwich, some crackers, and a cookie. Starting with the sandwich, Jay took a seat next to her.

"So uh…how's your article coming along?" he asked.

"Um…I still have a long way to go," replied Kitsune. "I'm just having a hard time starting it…you know."

"Oh," said Jay, turning his gaze toward the horizon. "Well, I'm sure you'll be able to."

'I sure hope so,' she thought.

Just then the all to familiar sound of gunfire could be heard in the distance. The chatter of automatic fire echoed as the war began to heat up elsewhere. None of them were really concerned with it – all of them have grown accustomed to hearing it.

"Kitsune," said Jay, "we're gonna be heading out again, so make sure to take care of any…_personal_ business."

Kitsune nodded and managed to crack a half-smile at him. 

"I'll be sure to take care of that," she replied.

Jay patted her on the back, and began to make his way back to the car. Turning forward once again, Kitsune began to survey her surroundings. The trees and gentle slopes seemed to give off a sense of tranquility and calm, even though the sound of war rang loudly in the air. An eerie sense of calm began to settle upon the landscape, and for the first time in a long while Kitsune's mind seemed to be at ease. The stress and trauma that the fox girl had been through began to weigh less and less at each passing second, and for that short period of time she felt calm. Unfortunately, this would not last for long.

A sudden explosion rattled Kitsune to the bone, causing her to press her body as close to the ground as humanly possible. Covering her head, she awaited further explosions, but none came. Slowly she lifted her head and saw something that made her stomach turn: a column of smoke…rising from where the car was parked. A moment later, she heard the painful cries of someone who was caught in the blast.

"Oh no!" Kitsune cried. "No!"

As fast as she could, she made her way back to the car. When Kitsune emerged from the brush, she caught a glimpse of the destruction – the car that got them out of many situations lay in a twisted heap, flames licking at the remains. Her gaze soon shifted to her fellow journalists. Jay was lying on the road clutching his left arm; blood oozed through his fingers as he cried out in pain. Gus and Sandy appeared to be unhurt and were already at his side pulling out a small med-kit from Sandy's bag.

"Oh Jesus!" cried Jay. "Oh god it hurts!"

"Dammit, loosen you fingers! I gotta see the wound," said Gus.

Gus pried Jay's grip off his arm, revealing a ragged gash that ran from his shoulder to his elbow. A three-inch piece of shrapnel stuck through his bicep, intensifying the pain the young man was feeling. Kitsune moved to the others and crouched next to them.

"What can I do to help?" she asked hastily.

"Just help me bandage him up," Gus replied.

After several minutes of treating Jay's injury, Sandy gave him some painkillers and helped him move to a place where he could lay down to recover from the initial shock. Gus took a seat and wiped his hands of blood and dirt as Kitsune sat next to him, followed by Sandy.

"Gus…what the hell happened?" Kitsune asked.

The older man took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, closing his eyes. Opening them once more, he turned his gaze to the remains of the car.

"Jay was about to get the car ready when it blew," he replied. "Looks as though we had it parked under a goddamn time-delayed mine of some sort."

A chill ran up her spine. She realized that if it blew the moment they stopped or started out again, they wouldn't be having this conversation.

"Is Jay going to be okay Sandy?" asked Gus.

"For the moment," Sandy answered. "But we need to get him to a hospital fast or his injury may become infect."

"That's gonna be difficult," stated Kitsune. "We still have a long way to go."

Gus took a swig from his flask. "We're about ten miles away from the border. If we start walking now, we'll be able to cover the distance by sundown."

Gathering up their things and helping Jay to his feet, the four of them set out for Albania. None of them had any clue what lay ahead or where they're going to end up.

~~

The sun had set behind the horizon as Kitsune and the others stopped. Taking a seat along the tree line, the group began to prepare the dangerous task of crossing the border. Using their cameras, they began to survey the route they'd be taking. From the looks of things, it was all clear – but looks can be deceiving.

"Okay…we have about a fourth of a mile of open field to cross until we hit the woods again," said Gus. "Pass the woods is the border, and then we're home free. But be prepared for anything."

"At least it's almost nightfall," said Jay, still grimacing from his injury. "If we move real quiet and keep some distance between each other, we should be alright."

"What do you mean by that Jay?" asked Kitsune.

"We have a better chance crossing the border of we weren't bunched up – it'll draw too much attention of anybody's watching the field or the woods."

Sandy nodded. "He's right. We have to keep a safe interval…it's the only way we can slip by unnoticed.

Kitsune took a deep breath. She was not comfortable to be separated from them – it's bad enough that her friends weren't with her…but without Jay, Gus, or Sandy by her side, it would be much more difficult. But like the others, it was the only way.

"So…I guess it's now or never than, huh?" Kitsune said.

"Yeah, you could say that," commented Sandy.

Kitsune could tell that everyone was nervous about the plan. It seemed too easy, considering what she and the others had been through over the past couple of days. They all hoped that their luck would last a bit longer – they were so close the tension began to build to greater proportions. Exchanging glances at one another, they wished each other luck…hopefully they'd see each other in Albania.

First to start was Gus, then Jay went a thirty seconds later. Sandy patted Kitsune on the shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up. After about half a minute had elapsed she too started off, leaving Kitsune by herself. Counting the seconds in her head, she began to ready herself to cross the gauntlet. 

The moment she stepped into the field, she felt as if she was in her dream again…but she did not feel the same sense of peace it brought. Instead fear began to envelop her, making he feel like she was suffocating in it. As Kitsune forged ahead, she saw the others some distance away from her, moving deliberately toward the woods. Soon Gus entered the woods, followed by Jay. She was almost there – a surge of anticipation took hold of the fox girl as she neared the tree line. Then all of a sudden a flare shot out into the sky, removing the darkness that surrounded Kitsune and Sandy. All of a sudden, all hell broke loose.

"Kitsune! Get the hell out of there!" cried Sandy. "Come on!"

Kitsune got up and ran a fast as she could to the woods. Tracers flew by her head as bullets kicked up dirt all around. Soon mortar rounds began to fall like rain, explosions rocked the ground as dirt and debris rained on her head. Reaching the tree line didn't make the shelling stop – it only made it worse as tree burst saturated the area. Kitsune had lost all sense of direction as she stumbled through the woods. Sandy had stopped short, trying to make her way back to her. Just as she was only a few yards away, a shell struck right next to her. Sandy screamed in agony as she fell to the ground. Rolling into an indentation in the ground, her screaming ceased and she lay still – a pool of blood began to spread in all directions.

"Sandy no!" cried Kitsune.

Kitsune was shocked and on the verge of tears when she saw Sandy get hit, but the truth was clear – there was nothing that she could do for her. Regaining her senses Kitsune searched for cover. She caught a glimpse of Gus and Jay ahead of her motioning her to move faster, calling her name. A bullet struck Kitsune in her leg, causing her to tumble. Crying out in pain, she desperately tried to get back up.

~~

Gus and Jay took shelter in a crater as they watched Kitsune running toward them. It was heartbreaking to see Sandy fall, but the shelling had become so intense it was too dangerous for them to get out. The only thing they could do is watch.

"Come on Kitsune! Get out of there!" shouted Jay.

"Kitsune take cover! You're gonna get bombed!" cried Gus. "Take cover!"

Another explosion caused the group to fall back in the impact crater. Getting up, Jay was the first to get back up in time to see Kitsune fall to the ground. They soon heard her scream in pain, calling for help.

"Hold on Kitsune I'm coming!" shouted Gus.

He tried to run out to help Kitsune, but another explosion rocked the area around them. Falling forward, she managed to catch a glimpse of Kitsune – her face showed the fear and pain that she was in. Both Jay and Gus were horrified when a trio of mortars landed all around Kitsune – big columns of dirt, debris, and fire enveloped the area. 

Kitsune's screams ceased and she was nowhere to be seen.

***

A/N – I hope you all enjoyed chapter 6! Whew…this one really took a lot out of me, mentally.

Anyway, I'd like to thank **i won't tell**, **Gotenks01013**, and **lovehina-freak** for reviewing. Hope you guys will keep reading more of my work!

Okay everybody you know the routine! Read and review and I'll have chapter 7 up soon!   ^_^


	7. Aftermath

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 7 – Aftermath

All was quiet in the woods once again. The mortar barrage had ended some time ago and everything laid still – only the sound of a gentle breeze could be heard. Smoke rising from the burnt remains of grass and wood shrouded the area, swirling in all directions. The survivors of the nightmarish event slowly began to make their presence known to one another…

Kitsune slowly opened her eyes, regaining consciousness. She was confused on what had happened to her. Why was she lying on her back? After a few seconds elapsed, the memories of earlier that night replayed in her head – the shelling…Sandy…everything up to when she blacked out came back to her. Kitsune tried to get up, but a sharp pain prevented her to do so, followed by something dampening parts of her clothes. Instinctively, she reached over and ginger touched her midsection and instantly her hand came in contact with something warm. Moving her hand to her face she saw it – blood…her blood. As gently as she could, she lifted her head and saw the extent of her injuries. Kisune's eyes grew wide as she fell back to the ground, breathing harder and harder…

Gus and Jay slowly lifted her heads from the crater. Not wanting to expose themselves too much, they surveyed the destructions. It was horrific and awe-inspiring at the same time; the once peaceful forest now lay in utter ruin as splinters of wood and shrapnel dotted the ground.

"Maybe we should check if any of the girls are okay?" said Jay.

"I don't know Jay…no one could've survi–" started Gus.

At that moment they heard the faint cries of a woman in the distance. Neither of them could tell whom the voice belonged to, but it didn't matter.

"Hold on!" shouted Gus. "We're coming!"

Getting out of the crater, they both made their way to where the voice was coming from. Picking their way through the debris, they found Kitsune lying in a small pool of blood. 

"Holy shit," Jay said softly.

Her injuries made both men cringe; Kitsune hand nearly been disemboweled…her abdomen had been peppered with shrapnel causing blood to flow from the many gashes. Her left leg had small bits of shrapnel protruding from it as well as the bullet wound she received, soaking her pant leg completely. She also had several cuts and burns on her left arm as well as a couple gashes on her face – dried blood and dirt caked her forehead. Her teary eyes not only showed the pain of her injuries but the emotional pain as well.

"It h-hurts," Kitsune choked. "It hurts so much."

"Hold on Kitsune," said Jay, "you'll be alright."

"Stay with us Kitsune," added Gus. "Before you'll know it, you be in a hospital with clean sheets eating decent food."

Pulling out the med-kit, they both began the arduous work of treating her wounds. During that whole time, both Jay and Gus took turns talking and comforting her…trying to keep her from slipping into shock. Tying the last bandage into place, Jay gave her some painkillers to dull the pain temporarily while Gus checked up on Sandy. Moments later he returned, a sad expression graced his worn features.

"Is…is Sandy…" whispered Kitsune.

Gus knelt down to her. "I'm sorry…she's gone."

At first, Kitsune didn't know how to react…she didn't know what to feel – not because she didn't want to, but she couldn't. Kitsune wanted to shed a thousand tears of mourning for Sandy, but it was in vain. These past few days had already taken its toll on the fox girl emotionally. Like a dripping faucet, she felt the energy to express herself slowly drain away into nothingness. All she could do is close her eyes in an attempt to shield her mind from reality.

"Kitsune?" said Jay.

Kneeling next to Gus, she heard her whisper something in Japanese. He turned to Gus and gave puzzled look to him. Gently placing a hand on her head he looked down on her once more.

"Kitsune…what did you say?"

She opened her eyes as a few tears streamed down her face. These tears were different however…they weren't meant for Sandy, the war, her friends, or her wounds – these were tears for her alone.

"I want to go home," Kitsune sobbed.

~~

The sun began to rise, as the earth greeted a new day. Jay and Gus carried Kitsune on a crude stretcher fashioned from their rain ponchos. The walk was silent – no one wanted to talk about what had happened. Sometime before they started out, they had to make the hard choice of leaving Sandy's body. Before they left, they took what personal possessions the young girl had on her person – placing all of it in her bag. It would've been impossible to carry her as well as Kitsune back with them, so instead they marked the area and covered Sandy up as best as they could. Once they reached the proper authorities, they'd send a team to recover the remains…none of them wanted to have the Morello family to have an empty casket to bury and only Sandy's bag to remember her by.

After about two hours of walking, Gus spots something – a truck. At first none of them could tell if it's hostile or not. Moving into some tall weeds on the side of the road, they waited silently as the truck approached. When it was less than a hundred yards away, they saw it – the Red Cross flag that graced atop the truck's cab.

"We did it!" cried Jay "We actually goddamn did it!"

"Looks like we're going to be alright from here!" added Gus.

Kitsune could only stare in disbelief. As much as she wanted to join in their joy, she lacked the drive to do so. Gus and Jay flagged the truck down and spoke with the driver. Explaining their situation, two Red Cross volunteers steeped out. Kitsune then felt strong hand pick her up and shifting her onto a real stretcher. The voices of everyone melded into the background as she was carried to the truck. One of the volunteers pulled out a syringe and injected a sedative into Kitsune's arm while the other inspected her many wounds. The medicine began to take its affect almost immediately, causing Kitsune's vision to blur. Gradually the world all around her quieted and she passed out once more…

~~

One week later…

Naru and Keitaro sat in the back of a truck bound for a Red Cross field hospital. It had been a rough four days ever since they came to Albania, and the situation was becoming steadily worse for the two.

"Are you sure she'll be here Naru?"

Naru sighed. "This is one of the last Red Cross places that's near the border – Kitsune just _has_ to be here."

Keitaro could only nod to her as he looked out the window. This had to be the fifth camp they'd be visiting that close to the border, and he could tell the strain of travel was getting to both of them. They had already checked the major hospitals in Tirana, so it was possible that Kitsune's still out in a field hospital. They had asked all the volunteers at each camp so far, and so far failed to turn up any leads. There were dozens of other camps left, so he and Naru remained optimistic.

"Hey we're here," said the driver.

Sure enough, the truck pulled into the camp. It was a buzz with activity as people, wounded and doctors alike, shuffled from one tent to another. Getting out, both Naru and Keitaro searched where the patients were being kept. By a process of elimination, they narrowed it down to a rather large tent near the edge of the perimeter.

"That must be it," said Naru.

Walking over to the entrance, both of them were stopped by a doctor that was watching the door. Standing up from his chair, he blocked them from going in.

"I'm sorry, but we cannot have any unauthorized people wandering around here," he stated.

"Please doctor," said Keitaro, "we won't be a bother…but we need to see if our friend's there."

"We'll…"

"Sir please…it important to us to see if she's in there," pleaded Naru.

The doctor sighed. "Alright, you convinced me – but please try not to disturb any of the patients," he said.

"Thanks doctor," said Keitaro.

Stepping aside, Keitaro and Naru walked in. The sight wasn't a pretty one – the beds occupied many refugees who got caught up in the shooting…many had to have some of their limbs amputated. Some of them were so badly hurt that this tent could be mistaken as a morgue as the two made their way between the beds.

"This is horrible," commented Naru.

"Come on…let's keep looking," replied Keitaro.

They began to search each row of beds for their friend, taking their time as they looked from one patient to the next. Ten minutes had elapsed and it was becoming clear that Kitsune might not be here at all. Walking to the back of the tent, Naru and Keitaro looked through the patients there. AS the approached the last few beds, their eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar face just a few beds down.

"Keitaro! It's Kitsune!" cried Naru.

"That's great!" he exclaimed.

Making their way to the bed, overjoyed to see their friend once more. It was not long until joy turned to concern as the saw the injuries the fox girl had. They moved as quickly as they could to be at Kitsune's side, hoping to comfort the girl.

It was clear that Kitsune went through hell… Naru and Keitaro hoped that they and the rest back at the Hinata Sou could bring her back.

***

A/N – Believe it or not, it took me awhile to think about how I'd write chapter 7, so I hope it met everyone's expectations. 

I'd like to thank **i won't tell**, and **Gotenks01013 **for reviewing chapter 7 as well as those who read my work thus far! Hope you guys enjoyed my latest chapter!

Alrighty then! Please read and review and I'll try to have the next chapters up ASAP!     ^_^


	8. Lingering Wounds

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 8 – Lingering Wounds

Kitsune lay in her hospital bed, staring off into space. She, Jay, and Gus were able to find safety after several days of hell. They arrived at a Red Cross camp where Jay and Gus were treated for minor injuries. Unfortunately for her, she had to be shuffled to this camp because of her injuries. Before she left, Jay and Gus were at her side reassuring her and putting her fears at ease – that it'll be all right. When the volunteers loaded her in the ambulance, she felt truly alone…forgotten.

She hadn't seen either of them since.

 For nearly a week she remembered the events that had lead to this point…and each time she did, it made her wish she hadn't. The most painful of her memories was that of the death of her friend Sandy. How could Sandy die while she was spared from a similar fate? Kitsune couldn't help but feel guilty for her own survival, blaming herself for what happened. She wondered if she could've been able to save her friend – but like many of her questions, there wasn't an easy answer.

Kitsune reached in her shirt pocket and pulled out the group shot of everyone back home. She looked at everyone's faces in the photo intently. Her eyes soon focused on hers, a reflection of her personality: a carefree individual full of life…part of which had been left behind in Kosovo. Kitsune caught a glimpse of her own reflection in the plastic windows of the tent earlier – the only difference is that the face that looked back at her wasn't her own. Instead the face belonged to a tired, withdrawn girl who had seen too much. Kitsune seemed to isolate herself from the rest of the world…her eyes had a glazed look to them now, seemingly starting off into the distance.

"Kitsune!" cried a familiar voice.

Looking up, Kitsune saw two faces she thought she'd never see again. Keitaro and Naru quickly made their way to her bed. Soon they were at her side, a mix of joy and concerned graced their eyes.

"Naru? Keitaro?" she said in disbelief.

The moment Naru and Keitaro came to Kitsune's bedside they gasped at the sight of her injuries. The once vibrant Mitsune Konno that didn't have a care in the world lay tired, worn, and broken in front of them. Naru leaned down to her old friend and took her hand into hers.

"Kitsune…we were so worried about you," said a relieved Naru.

Kitsune turned to Naru and Keitaro with a sad expression on her face. She remained silent as her two friends looked on. Gradually Kitsune began to sob and rested her head on the bed railing. Keitaro knelt down to her and stroked Kitsune's short, blonde hair gently, trying to comfort her.

"Everything's going to be okay," added Keitaro, "We're gonna take you home."

"H-Home?" Kitsune choked.

"Yeah," replied Naru, "home."

~~

It was not long until the trio found themselves on a plane back to Japan. Keitaro already called the others back at the Hinata Sou the good news. To say that Shinobu, Su, Motoko, and Haruka were overjoyed was an understatement. But the moment he told them about the fox girl's injuries caused them all to be concerned for Kitsune once more. After he hung up the phone, Keitaro hoped that their presence could help cheer her up.

Kitsune's injuries still required some hospitalization once they landed some twenty hours later. After being moved to the hospital in Hinata, Naru and Keitaro sat at her bedside awaiting the others while the fox girl slept. Kitsune hadn't said a word to either Naru or Keitaro the entire trip. 

"I'm worried," said Naru. "I've never seen Kitsune act like this before."

Keitaro sighed. "I don't know…I just hope we can help her get through this."

At that moment, Su, Shinobu, and Motoko burst into the room followed by Haruka, trying in vain to keep the girls from causing too much excitement – they were all eager to see the resident party-girl once more, thus causing a lot of commotion during their initial entrance. The end result of this was a series of loud bangs that resonated within the walls, causing the sound waves to amplify even greater.

~~

Kitsune walked through a familiar forest as a thick fog swirled all around her. She did not get the sensation of peace or tranquility the fog used to radiate before – instead it gave off a more dreary and hopeless feeling. She shivered in fear as she continued walking to her unknown destination. Suddenly, she heard the all-too familiar sound of incoming mortars. Time seemed to slow down as Kitsune desperately tried to find some cover. Diving into a small ditch, she felt her arms come in contact with something wet and sticky. Looking to where her hands landed, she was horrified to see where she had landed. 

In the ditch next to Kitsune was the body of Sandy – her still-warm entrails and blood began to seep into the moist earth. An explosion caused her to close her eyes and cover her face. When she opened them once more, the body of her friend was replaced with her own – the look of death graced the features on the corpse as it stared blankly back at Kitsune. 

'No! Please make it stop!' she thought.

Terrified, the fox girl clawed her way out of the ditch in an effort to get away. As she stood up, a shell landed right in front of her. The explosion was much greater than ever before; the fire engulfed Kitsune entirely as shrapnel passed through her body.

~~

Kitsune sat up immediately and screamed. She began to look wildly around the room in a panic and tried to get out of bed. 

"Cover! I need to find cover!" Kitsune screamed. "I gotta get out! I gotta get out of here!

Naru rushed over to her friend. "It's okay Kitsune! You're safe…nothing's going to hurt you."

Kitsune slowly realized that she was no longer in Kosovo – she was back home…among friends. She buried her head into her arms and sobbed. Naru wrapped her arms around her and began to comfort the crying girl.

"Naru…I-I'm so-sorry," choked Kitsune. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay Kitsune…you don't have anything to be sorry for."

Keitaro and Haruka moved the others back outside and closed the door behind them. Running his hand through his hair, he turned to face them. Haruka moved to Keitaro in remorse of what had happened. 

Haruka sighed. "I'm really sorry Keitaro. I tried to keep them from doing something like this."

"That wasn't a good idea bursting into the room like that," he said to the rest.

Su, Shinobu, and Motoko shot a confused look at him. A moment later, Su broke the silence that was in the air.

"Why? Did we do something wrong?" she asked innocently.

"We just want to see Kitsune is all Sempai," added Shinobu.

The door opened once again, and Naru stepped out. Wiping her brow, she gave a low sigh.

"How is she Naru?" asked Keitaro.

"Kitsune's okay now…she's just a little shook up is all," said Naru.

Motoko turned to Naru. "Naru, what's wrong with Kitsune…I've never seen her this scared before."

"Well, the doctor said that Kitsune had been through a lot over the past few days. I can only imagine what she saw over there," she answered.

"The doctor thinks that she may have P.T.S.D.," add Keitaro.

"Pe-tee-ess-tee? Is that some sort of snack?" asked Su.

Shinobu covered her eyes and shook her head. "Kolla, I don't think it has anything to do with food."

"P.T.S.D. stands for Post-traumatic stress disorder," answered Haruka. "It's an anxiety disorder and it can be very damaging to Kitsune if it's not treated."

Everyone remained silent. The seriousness of Kitsune's situation seemed too unreal, but the truth was evident. After talking amongst themselves for a couple of minutes, they decided to try and talk to Kitsune – this time they'd enter in a more orderly manner. Filing into the room as quietly as they could, each of them took a seat near the bed.

Kitsune looked up, her eyes still red from crying. She felt ashamed that she panicked in front of her friends like that, but she couldn't help it. Sitting up as best as she could, she spoke.

"I-I'm really sorry…I j-just don't know what came over me," she whispered.

"Kitsune, we should be the ones apologizing to you for entering your room like that," replied Motoko.

"We're really sorry Kitsune…it's just that we're happy to see you is all," added Shinobu.

Kitsune managed a weak smile to her friends. "It's all right. I'm…I'm glad to see all of you too."

"Kitsune, when are you gonna come home?" asked Su.

"S-Soon I hope."

"Do you think you'll be able to play with me again?" Su asked next.

Naru was about to say something, but Keitaro stopped her. It was evident that Naru was a bit frustrated at Su, but she calmed down when Kitsune answered her.

"Well…um…I-I hope so Su…but not right away."

The rest of the day went on like this. Everyone took turns talking to Kitsune, trying to free her from the demons that still haunted her. When it was time for them to leave, Kitsune was a bit frightened – she didn't want to be alone again. After persuading the doctor and the nurses, they allowed them to stay by Kitsune's side until she fell into an uneasy sleep. As quietly as they could, the group walked out of the room. Out in the parking lot, Motoko, Keitaro, and Naru began to talk about what to do next. Keitaro decided to make arrangements for Kitsune to be moved back to the Hinata Sou by tomorrow afternoon.

"I hope it'll help Kitsune if she was back at the dorm…it just might do her some good," he said to Naru.

"Still…I really think we need to talk to a therapist about this," commented Naru. "I'm afraid that she may never get over this."

"That is true," replied Motoko. "But I'm sure that she'll be able to Naru."

Nodding in agreement, they and the rest of the group made their way back to the Hinata Sou. As they walked, each of them couldn't help but think about Kitsune. All that any of them could do at that moment is hope that she'll find inner-peace once more.

***

A/N – That does it for chapter 8! Just FYI, we're approaching the end of this fic, so I'm gonna work pretty hard on the next chapter to give it some closure and bring things full circle.

Well, I'd like to thank **i won't tell** and **Gotenks01013** for reviewing once again, and to those who've read and enjoyed what I have up! Hope you guys enjoyed it!

Whew, I'm tired. Anyway, please by all means read and review, and I'll try to have the next chapter up soon!   ^_^


	9. Bonds of Friendships

Disclaimer:

I do not own anything from Love Hina or any copyrighted material. Any other characters used in this fic are mine, however.

Chapter 9 – Bonds of Friendships

It had been nearly two weeks since Kitsune had been released from the hospital. Though she had healed physically, it was unclear to anyone if she'd be able to heal mentally. Everyone was worried about how she acted, so they had arranged a therapist to see her every other day. She's been making some progress…but not a lot.

Kitsune sat outside of the Hinata Sou in deep thought. It was late in the afternoon, and she just returned from therapy at Dr. Mikashi's office in the same depressing mood she had since coming back home. Lying on her back, she stared straight up at the blue sky and clouds. She couldn't help but dwell on what she has been through – every time she closed her eyes, the images of death and destruction haunted her. All she wanted to do now is forget.

Just a short distance away Keitaro, and the rest of the girls stood watching Kitsune from afar. All of them could tell that Kitsune's having a hard time adjusting to being back home. Keitaro sighed as he motioned everyone to head back to the dorm.

"Well, what do you think we should do now," Keitaro asked as he and the others walked.

"I know what we shouldn't do," said Naru. "We shouldn't avoid Kitsune…Dr. Mikashi said that the best way to help is to talk about what happened."

"I agree," said Motoko. "It's unhealthy for her to bottle up her emotions like this. Sooner or later the pressure will be too great for her, and she may lash out…or worse."

"Maybe we should just asked her flat out," suggested Su. "I don't see what the problem is to do that."

Shinobu turned to Naru. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

Naru shook her head. "I don't think it is…I mean I don't want to give the impression that we're trying to pry into her life."

Keitaro thought for a moment as they neared the dorm. "That's true…but this must be eating her up inside. I wish we could do more for Kitsune."

~~

Darkness – that was all Kitsune could see all around her. She moved forward, the sounds of her own footsteps echoed all around her. Gradually light began to reveal her surroundings as if someone was turning up a dimmer switch. Soon her vision cleared, and realized she was back inside the farmhouse. Her ears picked up voices from outside – familiar voices. Picking her way through the debris, Kitsune peered out the window…what she saw sent a chill down her spine. The voices belonged to none other than everyone at the Hinata Sou. They were all out in the field enjoying what the day has brought – they were unaware of what was to happen in that very same field. 

Kitsune banged on the window desperately trying to warn them. She screamed, but was shocked when no sound came out.  Artillery shells began to land all around them sending metal shards and earth in all directions – gunfire erupted as the sounds of war intensified into an unbearable din. Everyone outside frantically tried to find cover, screaming for help. Kitsune was aghast as they fell to the earth one by one – their blood spraying into a fine mist as they succumbed to the shrapnel and lead saturating the field. Another explosion shattered the window sending shards of glass into Kitsune's face, promptly knocking her to the ground. She struggled to get to her feet, all the while hearing her friends beg for help, crying out in agony and pain until their cries faded.

As Kitsune pulling herself up to the window once more, she saw the torn-up bodies of her friends, bright pools of crimson began to seep into the ground. Tears began to stream from her eyes; her close friends…her family was dead. The ones that she cared for more than ever were gone. 

~~

"Ahhhhhhhh! No, please don't let them die! Please!" screamed Kitsune.

She thrashed all about in her room until she shot up in a cold sweat. Kitsune breathed heavily as she held her head in her hands, tears streaming down her face. Her door slid open, revealing a concerned Keitaro and Naru followed by Motoko, Su, and finally Shinobu. Seeing Kitsune crying bitterly made them all rush to her side.

"It's alright Kitsune," said Naru. "We're here."

Kitsune looked up to see her friends around her. Seeing the look of concern in their eyes made her feel guilty.

"I'm…I'm s-sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't…I mean…I – "

"Kitsune," said Keitaro, "it's okay. Listen, why don't we all head downstairs and talk about this…is that okay with you Kitsune?"

Kitsune nodded solemnly and was helped up by Naru and Keitaro. Soon enough they all were seated in the living room and made themselves as comfortable as possible. Motoko was the first one to speak.

"Kitsune what's wrong? What could've disturbed you so much?"

"I…um…had a bad dream," she started. "In it…I was back there – back in Kosovo. All of you were there…amongst the fighting…the killing."

They all knew what happen next in the poor girl's dream. After she finished, Keitaro asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Kitsune…what happened to you over there?" Keitaro asked. "Please…tell us."

The fox girls saw the concern in all of there eyes. Taking a deep breath, she told them her story of what had happened. The shelling of the village…the farmhouse…the death of her friend Sandy…she told them everything. When she finished, it became all too clear that Kitsune had seen too much at her age. It pained each and every one of them that they couldn't relate to her experiences.

"I-I don't know what's wrong with me," Kitsune said. "But…every time I think about what happened there…I'm afraid."

"What are you afraid of?" asked Shinobu.

"I'm afraid…I'm afraid that I've changed," she answered. "I'm scared that I may lose all of you."

"Kitsune," sighed Naru. "You know that we'd never do that."

Keitaro moved closer to Kitsune's side and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Naru's right," he said. "No matter what happens to you or anyone else here in the dorm…we'll never abandon you."

Those words struck a deep chord within Kitsune. Gradually, her deepest fears began to fade within herself as the truth revealed itself – through good times or bad, they'd be there for her. For the first time in a long while, she felt secure – she was around those who truly care for her.

She began to cry once more as everyone moved to her side. The tears however where not tears of sorrow…they were tears of relief and joy.

~~

One month later… 

Kitsune fumbled with the rolls of film in her hand, remembering what was stored within the film. She rolled them around as if they were dice, contemplating the images that she had captured. Although she had a good reason why she took those pictures, it still made her feel a bit uneasy. Her first impulse was to throw the film in the garbage along with her notebook, but something else prevented her to do so.

'_It's important to show the people back home what's happening in the world,_' she thought. 'That's what Sandy told me.'

Thinking about those words, Kitsune closed her hand around both rolls, and put them in her pocket. 

"I have to let people know," Kitsune said to herself. "I still have a job to do."

Pulling out pencil and paper, she opened her notebook and began to write her story. She wrote about what had happened…her personal experience…all the things that the public needed to hear. Working for more than an hour, she finished her work. With great care, Kitsune slipped her article in an envelope along with the rolls of film. Sealing it up, she set it on top of her desk along with another important item – a plane ticket to the States. Just then Naru walked up to her friend.

"Finished your article?"

"Yeah…finally."

Kitsune picked up her coat and slipped it on. Walking over to her desk, she picked up the envelope and stuffed it in her pocket.

"After I drop this off…I'm gonna get my things together for my trip tomorrow," Kitsune said.

Naru turned to her friend. "Are you sure about this?"

"It's important that I go see Sandy's family," came her reply. "I mean…I just want to tell them about how important her work was."

"Well, I hope that you'll have a pleasant trip Kitsune. I'm sure it'll mean a lot to her family."

Kitsune flashed a genuine smile at her friend as she gave her a hug. As she made her way to the front of the Hinata Sou, she caught a glimpse of all the people that had a huge impact on her life. Keitaro, Su, Shinobu, Motoko, and Naru – all of them mean more to her now than ever before. 

Taking her first few steps outside, Kitsune turned and gazed at the Hinata Sou. The fox girl realized how lucky she truly was, and she never forgot how close she was to losing it all. Her inner fears no longer plagued her with feelings of depression – she was free of the demons that had haunted her since her time in Kosovo. Kitsune Konno, free spirit extraordinaire did change. Fortunately this change was for the better.

Reaching the street below, she made her way to her publisher to submit her work.

***

A/N – Sorry for the late update, but I really want to make the final chapter really bring my fic to a close – I hope I did a good job doing so.

I want to give my thanks to **i won't tell** and **Gotenks01013** for reviewing chapter 8, and to all of those who have read my work and left reviews before. You really helped motivate me to become a better writer in many ways!

And that's it for 'Through Her Eyes' ladies and gentlemen! I hope that all of you enjoyed reading it as much as I had writing it. Take care!      ^_^


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